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PC experience moves to the cloud

Microsoft has launched its Live Mesh platform, a cloud computing concept that lets users store data and applications on the Internet rather than on their own physical hard drive.

In addition, users can connect all their devices into their own personal mesh, where they will be able to access files and applications in the user's Mesh folder."To individuals, the concept of 'My Computer' will give way to the concept of a personal mesh of devices – a means by which all of your devices are brought together, managed through the web, as a seamless whole," says Microsoft's Ray Ozzie."After identifying a device as being 'yours', its configuration and personalisation settings, its applications and their own settings, and the data it carries will be seamlessly available and synchronised across your mesh of devices."Live Mesh is currently in beta, but users can download the technology preview and start trying out the concept."Over the past ten years, the PC era has given way to an era in which the web is at the center of our experiences – experiences delivered not just through the browser but also through many different devices including PCs, phones, media players, game consoles, set-top boxes and televisions, cars, and more," says Ozzie."It is our mission in this new era to create compelling, seamless experiences that combine the power of the internet, with the magic of software, across a world of devices."There are three guiding principles in this concept, he says.They are: that the Web is the hub of our social mesh and our device mesh; that the power of choice is important as business moves to embrace the cloud; and that small pieces are loosely joined for developers, within the cloud and across a world of devices.